About Us
The Mt.
Diablo Surveyors Historical Society was founded in October 1990, with an
initial membership of eight Land Surveyors. The society is a California
Non-Profit Public Benefit Corporation, incorporated on April 2, 1991 and
organized under IRS 501(c) (3) guidelines. The Society is governed by a Board
of 5 Directors pursuant to Articles of
Incorporation (see in HTML or in PDF) in accordance with Society Bylaws adopted on
October 2, 1991 (see in HTML - or in PDF) To date, we have been
able to acquire a two-construction foreman's trailers to store our
“treasures” and are looking for a long-term site with electricity for
equipment storage. If you know of a site or can suggest one on the east side
of San Francisco Bay, please contact us. Major donations to date
have been some of the instruments and papers of Albert J. Givan, R.C.E. 1, an
original member of the California Engineer's Licensing Board; the records of
John A. Mancini, R.C.E. 1592; Leroy Martin, P.L.S. 2578 and R.C.E. 7996 which
also include the records of Thomas B. Russell, C.E. and Robert H. Goodwin,
R.C.E. 473. The society was
instrumental in the placement of the bronze plaque commemorating the
establishment in 1851 of the Mt. Diablo Initial Point by Leander Ransom of the General Land
Office (G.L.O.)
(Now the Bureau
of Land Management or BLM)
and its recovery in 1984 by John W. Pettley, P.L.S. while he was a student at
California State University,
Fresno. The Society's treasures
are presently being stored in various locations thanks to the generosity of
public agencies with space. But because the locations are not readily
available for public viewing or use. When a building has been acquired, it is
the society's goal to convince retired surveyors to donate time as docents
and caretakers, allowing for proper public access. To make this dream a
reality, the society needs members, donors and corporate sponsors. If you are
not a member, please join. If your firm has old instruments or artifacts just
gathering dust in a closet, please consider donating them. This will make you
feel good and provide for a tax write-off. Your firm might also wish to make
a corporate donation to the building fund. Gifts are acknowledged and
memorialized in the societies newsletter, and identified on the artifact. How to Contact Us MDSHS is a California non-profit
corporation organized under |
